10 Oct 2015

Sport: More consistency demanded from Phoenix players

12:03 pm on 10 October 2015

The Wellington Phoenix football coach Ernie Merrick is backing Roy Krishna to rediscover his goal-scoring touch, but says it's up to all of the attacking players to deliver in the final third.

The 28 year-old scored for Fiji in both matches against the Phoenix during their pre-season tour of his homeland in June.

Striker Roy Krishna will be expected to pick up some of the slack with the Phoenix having lost leading goal scorer Nathan Burns.

Striker Roy Krishna will be expected to pick up some of the slack with the Phoenix having lost leading goal scorer Nathan Burns. Photo: Photosport

He finished tied for sixth in last season's A-League scoring charts but managed only one strike in his final ten matches, as the Phoenix were eventually knocked out in the first round of the finals.

The new season kicks off tomorrow with a home match against Newcastle and Ernie Merrick is demanding more consistency from the whole squad - not just Krishna.

"Not just Roy, I think all of us have got to take a step-up and we've got to become more consistent. In our first season we would win well then we'd lose badly [and] it took us a while to get off the mark. In the second season there was still a bit of that - you'd beat [eventual champions Melbourne] Victory 3-2 and then concede four or five goals the next week. We did have a really good run where three or four games in a row we won consistently and that got us to the top of the league so it's all about consistency."

Ernie Merrick

Ernie Merrick Photo: Photosport